1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to guided weapon systems, employing passive optical terminal guidance and more particularly to an image guided weapon system and method which provides autonomous precision strike capability employing a digital image.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Previous guided weapons which are launched from aircraft and other vehicles have generally relied on laser seeker/designator systems for weapons guidance. In such laser guided weapons systems, a laser shines laser light onto a target, and a launched bomb, missile or other weapon detects the reflected laser light from the target by a seeker, and guides to the target according to the detected laser light. Laser guided weapons have provided relatively low-cost, precision strike capabilities.
There are, however, significant drawbacks to the use of laser guided weapon systems. Particularly, a laser guided weapon system such as a laser guided bomb (LGB) typically requires the use of two aircraft, with one air craft serving as designator to shine a laser designator on the target, and another aircraft to launch the bomb. Thus, the designating aircraft has to remain in the most dangerous part of the battlespace until bomb impact. Another limitation of LGBs is that the laser designator needs a clear line-of-site to the target area, so LGBs can only be deployed in high visibility conditions. Still another limitation is that targets must be attacked sequentially since only one target can be designated at a time, thus further increasing aircraft exposure. A further limitation is that the designating aircraft must sacrifice a weapon station to carry a laser designator pod, thereby decreasing the strike efficiency of the aircraft.
Accordingly, there is a need for a guided weapon system and method which does not require the use of an additional designator aircraft, which does not require high visibility conditions, which does not require that an aircraft remain in battlespace until weapon impact, which does not require delayed, sequential attack of targets, and which does not require an aircraft to carry a designator pod. The present invention satisfies these needs, as well as others, and generally overcomes the deficiencies found in the background art.